The Bleeding
by Karneval-Mephisto
Summary: Naruto brought Sasuke back to the village... at a cost the Uchiha would never have willingly paid. In a fit of anger, he accosts Naruto to tell him what happened. "N-Naruto!" Some non-con, fluff, angst, yaoi, het, tort, abuse
1. Hidden Revelations

Naruto brought Sasuke back to the village... at a cost the Uchiha would never have willingly paid. In a fit of anger, he accosts Naruto to tell him what happened. "N-Naruto?!" "Sasuke… I'm a monster. You even told me this once."

Rated for: Rape, violence, slight gore, yaoi. Anything new that appears, I'll put a warning for in the chapter.

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It started with a look.

But wasn't that how it always was? A look… a scathing remark meant for maximum damage… a shove that could have easily been avoided? Things like that happened every day. And yet…

And yet it was never as bad as this. It was never as bad as this…

~*~

"You know what?" He snapped, eyes liquid fire as he attempted in vain to stare holes in the man in front of him.

The older man only stared back though, a calm expression on his face as he listening to the verbal onslaught.

"I shouldn't have come back."

And there is was. What had been hanging in the air for two weeks was now out in the open… and everyone fell silent. A normally jovial, smiling blond paled as his eyes went wide with a strange sort of fear.

The man who had been screaming merely stood back with a scowl marring his features. He himself was surprised at his outburst but the anger overrode everything, and that damnable _expression_ the silver-haired man in front of him wore… That… that damn _grin_ that was always _there_!

He was sick of it. "Kakashi." He hissed, and the blond teenager standing behind him choked back a breath. "Say something."

Said silver-haired nin released a tired sigh. The orange book with questionable content now lay against the tree, forgotten. He gave the last Uchiha his full attention.

"What would you like me to say, Sasuke?" He asked quietly, noticing from the corner of his eye just how pale Naruto was becoming. His mind wandered to the possibility of this whole situation ruining the teen, who had just recently managed to get the Uchiha to come back.

The black-haired teen's eyes seemed to glitter viciously, but before he could shoot back some snide remark that would undoubtedly hurt everyone in the area, Kakashi spoke again.

"Sasuke… I don't know what you expect from us. Are you restless? Is there something you want?"

'Action', Sasuke's mind screamed at him. But he pushed the thought back. It wasn't a want for action that started this… it was the lack there-of. The Uchiha knew when he came back that things would not be different. Not really. Yes, people would be in an uproar for a few days over his return and Naruto's success.

But it all went away quickly. Too quickly. Sasuke went back to being everyone's idol and crush while Naruto Uzumaki, the one who had convinced him to come back to this shithole in the first-place, was again the butt of every joke.

He was sick of it.

And the worst part? He seemed to be the _only _one doing anything about it. Kakashi knew, the brunette teacher who claimed to love Naruto to hell and back knew… Sakura knew… everyone. And yet Sasuke Uchiha, who had once prided himself on being Naruto's rival more than anyone or anything was now the only person sticking up for the blond.

He was the only one showing how much he valued him. And Kakashi now stood here, eyes dulled considerably from what the Uchiha assumed to be… annoyance? As he had talked, then growled, and then finally began to yell. It was only when he began yelling that everyone took notice.

Sakura sat next to a tree not far away; she had been practicing wrapping and unwrapping bandages as quickly as she could and timing it. The conversation, previously ignored, now caught her full attention and she dropped the sweat-stained cloth. This was supposed to be her day off.

"Sasuke?" She called quietly, but was easily ignored.

The Uchiha had his eyes on Kakashi… the man he had expected to take action, out of anyone. And now he was playing dumb. He said as much. Kakashi sighed again and seemed to slouch a little as he stood from his seat on the cool ground.

The training grounds were fairly empty today… and if they had had anyone before, they didn't now. Not after the outburst. Sakura sat quietly, eyes flickering between the three… then to Naruto.

"Sasuke…" The Jounin began, "You haven't been here long, so—" He was cut off by a derisive snort.

"I know I haven't, Hatake Kakashi." Sasuke sneered. His face presented an ugly expression of anger and disgust. "And I've already seen enough. Nothing's changed. _Everything's_ the same." His eyes flickered to the blond and Naruto's eyes widened a little.

Not even Sakura could mistake what he meant by that. "Sasuke-kun-"

He cut the girl off with a clipped 'Shut up', but Naruto's mumble caught his ear and he halted another round of yelling. "What?"

A tan, shaking hand ran through blond hair as Naruto looked up to the sky. "I don't care how they treat me. I have my friends. I have you, and Sakura-" He paused at the low growl, "Kakashi sensei, and everyone else. The rest of the village I can win over in time."

Sasuke crossed his arms slowly. "I'm not satisfied with that."

"Despite your ideas that we aren't trying, Sasuke, we are." Said Kakashi as he slid down the tree's trunk to sit back in the comfortable grass. But he did not pick up his book, nor did he look like his normal aloof self. His visible eye was set on the black-and-orange-wearing boy. "It can't be done overnight, just like Naruto said. And being openly hostile towards the people who shun him won't help him. The Hokage is taking steps to give Naruto more freedom in the village; acting against the Council's wishes."

Pink hair nodded an affirmative. She knew this wasn't her conversation, but still felt the need to add what she could. "Tsunade-sama really cares about Naruto. We all do…" she smiled at the blond, who continued to stare at the sky, missing the gesture.

Sasuke continued on the offensive though. After a while of his best friend arguing with his other precious people, Naruto tuned everything out and walked away to sit against the training ground's wooden practice dummies.

His head hurt considerably… and so did his heart. He knew Sasuke was just trying to fight for him, but the verbal battle was painful to listen to and he could barely hold back the sadness that threatened to wash over him. The villagers hated him. It was nothing new. He could deal with it as long as he had his friends and Sasuke. But the Uchiha didn't want it that way, he wanted action. He wanted something to be _done_ instead of sitting around ignoring the problem.

"I just want things back the way they were." He mumbled to himself softly as the wind began to pick up in the area. Cold air pushed hair into his face and he brushed it away. What time was it? He lost track. 'Idiot.' He berated himself.

"Dobe." The irritated grunt caused Uzumaki to look up; eyes glazed with tears he didn't realize were there. Sasuke sighed quietly. Kakashi and Sakura were gone.

Night threatened to take over as they stood there for an unknown amount of time; the Uchiha not knowing how to help the normally bubbly blond and Naruto feeling uncharacteristically somber. But it was growing cold now… and he was tired.

"Sasuke, can't things just go back to the way they were before?" Naruto asked, a small smile playing at his lips.

The Uchiha's face remained impassive, but his eyes gave away his inner turmoil. Only Naruto could read him so well, he knew. But right now, he just didn't care. "I doubt we could be a team again, dobe," He replied, but not in any negative tone. "And I just finished arguing my distaste for how things went back to the way they were, remember?"

Naruto groaned, making Sasuke quirk an eyebrow.

"Something else?" He accosted.

The blond pushed himself up off of the ground wearily, shrugging. But he knew that wouldn't satisfy his best friend. Everything was going to come out into the open now. And he braced himself for it.

"All of the changes; everything happened quickly. The pain isn't gone you know. It never will be… it's not the villagers you're mad at Sasuke."

The raven-haired nin paled slightly. He didn't think Naruto would ever bring that up… was that it? He was going to call him on his real reason. Onyx eyes narrowed slightly.

"Naruto--" He was cut off by the other boy's quiet, dejected murmur.

"No. You want to ask me what happened before I ran into you... before I tried to drag you back. I can read you pretty well now, Bastard." He huffed out a soft laugh.

Sasuke growled. "Alright. Maybe this isn't about the village. When you came after me this last time and before you… managed to drag me back," He said the last part with a sneer. "Something was off Naruto. Something happened to you. These villagers are a vent for me, because you won't tell me. Better?"

A grin, before it faltered was his answer. "Yeah, teme. It is."

"But that doesn't tell me what happened. You won't get angry, you won't laugh… you won't fucking tell me!"

With his anger being directed at Naruto, the blond now felt defensive and annoyed. But he knew Sasuke was only worried about him. Always worried. Funny… he had thought it would be the other way around after he got the bastard back. Tan fingers itched to scratch the back of his head as he said 'I guess'. But he couldn't just do that and leave it be.

"You really have to know, don't you?"

It was answers like that that pushed the Uchiha to act unlike himself. Taking a deep breath before silently releasing it, Sasuke nodded the slightest bit. It was obvious he was determined… and that made Naruto feel sick.

"Before I killed the Akatsuki."


	2. Nekoko

Author: Hi everyone! Wow, this story kicked off pretty well on both and ! I was shocked! So instead of playing around half-assed with this story like I was going to (lol sorry) I've decided to give this story most of my attention. Yatta! Review everyone, your critique make me step up my writing skills!

Warnings: I've decided to add more sex scenes. Some of them are not so pretty… and not canon pairings. Ex: Naru/Neji, Sai/Naru (Though I may add those if requested). You'll no-doubt notice when a scene like that comes up, so if you don't want to read it, skip it. I wont cry.

Otherwise, violence, gore, mental abuse.

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"_I shouldn't have been so cocky." He started; raising his head to allow Sasuke to see the true emotions he felt while the story he hid from everyone was told._

_Sasuke felt cold. Naruto never looked so pained… so remorseful… and so full of fear. "Naruto… tell me what happened before you found me."_

"_I will… I'm trying."_

FlashBack

Naruto Uzumaki may have been pretty dense a lot of the time; jumping into things without thinking first, letting his emotions get the best of him… but he was not a complete idiot. He knew from watching the perverted Sanin a little about working the information network.

And from steadily working on himself to where he could mask his chakra a little more, he was becoming a better ninja. Kakashi-sensei had told him that. So when he left Konoha to complete a mission that Tsunade Baa-chan had given him, he knew exactly what he was going to put his new skills to work on.

Sai and Neji Hyuuga were to accompany him. Sakura had to undergo some new training from the Hokage for a new Healing Technique, and Hatake Kakashi had been sent out on an A-rank mission—he didn't know what it entailed.

It wasn't something he would worry over though. 'Sai's my friend now,' He mused to himself as they passed the border of the Fire Country. 'And so is Neji. I trust them both.' A wide grin spread over his face.

In the background, eh could hear Sai asking the Hyuuga several awkward questions… but when the word 'sexy' filtered through his thoughts, he turned to the both of them with wide eyes and listened intently.

Neji's face was the picture of barely-contained annoyance. Despite being the only other person to master the 'I have no Emotions' Uchiha technique, he wore his annoyance for both of them to see.

Which meant things would turn sour soon. "Err, Sai shut up." He tried, waving his hands at the ink-nin while Neji wasn't looking.

"Uzumaki, I have One hundred eighty degree vision, I assure you I can see your gestures." The Hyuuga dead-panned, knowing Naruto's nervous laugh even before the blond began. "And Sai, is there a reason you're asking me why… why I look sexy?"

An impassive face stared back at the pupil less eyes of the brunette. "I've heard from the blond bimbo and the girl who sleeps with weapons that Neji Hyuuga is sexy. When I asked them why, they said 'I don't know, maybe he does it on purpose.'"

Behind Neji, Naruto blinked a few times. "Sleeps with weapons…?"

The nin shrugged minutely. "I brush my hair, my teeth; I clean my body. I don't purposefully… 'look sexy', there is no use for that in this world. I am a ninja, Sai."

Far ahead of them, they could see the silhouette of a small village; their first rest-area. Without a word all three of them stopped and began to remove their clothes, pulling on the civilian clothing they had been given by Shizune and Genma. Naruto balked when he saw just what exactly he would have to wear.

"Neji, can we trade—"

"No." Came the short, monotone reply.

"Sai?"

But the ink-nin had already donned his clothing, and was eyeing Neji with little subtlety. The Hyuuga ignored the blatant staring.

"When we get back, remind me to yell at Baa-chan.." Naruto griped, looking down at the dark green yukata he was being forced to wear. It looked a little too much like Lee and Gai-sensei's outfits for his liking. "I hate green…"

Neji and Sai's yukatas were pink and grey respectively; Neji having small cherry blossom flowers imprinted on the sleeves and bottom hem of the outfit. Wait—

"Neji, isn't that a kimono?"

"Yes."

He blinked. "Why are you wearing a kimono….? You look like a girl!"

If looks could kill, the Hyuuga would have murdered the blond. But as it was, they could not… and Naruto would live a while longer. But it was Sai's response that cleared the tension.

"Didn't you read the report, dick-less? Sexy has to dress as a woman to infiltrate Saboku Ryoudai, the gang-leader's main house."

Naruto frowned.

End FlashBack

_Naruto paused here as raindrops began to litter the area. The raven-haired man noticed this as well, and made a minute-head jerk that told the blond to follow him. Naruto did and they took off in the direction of the Uchiha Manor._

_Since coming back ,he had made it clear that Naruto would take a house in the Uchiha District to prove just how the Jinchuuriki's loyalty had affected him. They were like brothers, though they still bickered and fought how they used to._

_In the back of his mind, the blond wondered if telling this story would cause Sasuke to become distant with him. But considering what they had been through already… he just didn't know. In truth… this was one victory he never… ever wanted to remember again._

_They stopped at Sasuke's home; previously the main Uchiha house. Opening the door they both walked in and Sasuke immediately began pulling his friend to the direction of the living room._

"_Keep going Naruto. You can't stop there." 'Please.' Was the unspoken word that he heard behind the black-haired nin's words. Naruto smiled a little._

"_I know, I know, teme!"_

_Sasuke's living room was sparse; very little furniture. His friend never saw the need for it… sparse, just like… An involuntary shiver raced through his body, but before Sasuke could question him on it he began again._

"_I didn't understand why Neji had to dress that way, just to get into the man's house. I always thought we were just going to sneak in and take him out that way. But after he explained that there were too many guards and that the town could be in danger if we slipped up, he said this was their only choice."_

_Onyx eyes watched the blond carefully, and the teen nodded._

"_I guess Neji was going to play a geisha and me and Sai were supposed to be 'her' guards. It felt wrong… but at the time I was too ignorant to think it through. Maybe it would have been different."_

FlashBack

It was easy to get into the bar; Neji made a beautiful woman. He had let his hair flow freely as a beautiful white headdress covered the seal mark on his forehead. His nails and toenails were painted pink, he wore women's clothing… he was even forced to wear women's underwear.

With Naruto and Sai on each side of him, Neji was led to a decent-sized table where he was asked to wait for assistance.

"When's this guy we're supposed to meet gonna get here—" Naruto was cut off from his quiet griping as a middle-aged man approached their table and sat down across from them.

"Ah, you are Nekoko-chan? I must admit—you are much more beautiful then I have heard." He smiled at them.

The smile was easy to read through.

"Yes…" Neji purred in a light, feathery voice. "I am very happy my appearance is satisfactory."

The graying man nodded… something in his eyes making Naruto feel edgy and tense. Sai only stood and watched the exchange without a word.

"Very much so. Now, might I ask when your services are available, Miss Nekoko? If possible, we would like to appraise your performance tonight."

'Why does it feel so heavy here?' The blond thought dismally as he watched them go back and forth with false pleasantries. They played their parts expertly though. Soon enough, the man left and Neji stood to exit as well. 'Quick…'

Leaving the bar, the ink-nin grabbed Neji's elbow in a quick but firm grip. "That man is extremely dangerous."

"I know." The Hyuuga replied evenly. "We have to play our destinies well."

Naruto's eyes darted between them. Was he missing something? But they made no effort to explain and dropped the subject, so the blond let it slide too. If it was something bad, he trusted them to tell him.

Down the street from the bar was a gated walkway that led to an extravagant traditional Japanese house. From the paper sliding doors to the elegant koi ponds the large house exuded expensive tastes. He wrinkled his nose at the cream color used for everything.

"Why couldn't they make it a little brighter?" He muttered.

"Make what brighter?" The black-haired stared at him with a strange look of curiosity.

"Err, uh… that house over there. It's boring!" He pointed accusingly at it, but in front of him Neji chuckled.

"It is a very old house, Uzumaki. And done very well—it could rival the Hyuuga main building."

Naruto snorted. But before he could make an annoyed retort, both the Hyuuga and the ink-user turned. They were heading straight for the house.


	3. Belial Tokuba

He was right… he didn't want to be right. They were escorted through the gate and up the hand-crafted pathway to the entrance of the grand house. All Naruto could think was 'Something is off… these people, this house… everything about this'. But he continued to keep his mouth shut and they entered the main hallway.

The inside was the same cream color; only light pinks and gold were added every so-often. The furnishings were undoubtedly expensive and cluttered the hall. Table, vases, pictures, wall hangings… he resisted the urge to turn up his nose.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Sai inspecting a black-and-white wall hanging with what looked like a dragon fighting a phoenix. It was pretty cool.

"Please, this way."

Naruto blinked. A small girl about half his height in a pretty yellow kimono waved to them, pulling the hem of Neji's- ehm… Nekoko's- dress gently. They followed the little girl as she wound them through several hallways and turns. At each turn, she called "Don't get lost please!"

The blond couldn't resist a grin.

She made one last turn into a large opening, right into what everyone assumed to being the living area. It was sparsely furnished though, unlike the hallways they passed through and open rooms they had seen.

"M-my oniisan will be in, in a little bit!" She smiled; bowing so low her dark hair slapped the polished wooden floor under their feet. Naruto laughed.

"We can wait." Neji said quietly, eyes flicking back to Naruto before focusing on the girl again.

"H-hai!" A fervent nod before the little girl with sparkling green eyes ran from the room with a loud giggle.

Naruto's laugh sounded more like a hiss as he tried to hold it in. "Hey Ne—" He paused for a quick moment when Neji shot him a look, "Ne_koko_; does that remind you of anyone?"

"No, I'm afraid not." The Hyuuga replied testily.

"Oh come on." He pouted. But they were interrupted by someone entering the room.

Turning to look at their host, Naruto's insides felt as cold as ice.

End FlashBack

"_Who was it?" Sasuke's soft voice, almost drowned out by the now thundering storm overhead, called._

_Naruto leaned back against the couch he sat on and his back cracked._

"_Well, we didn't actually know him at the time." He grunted, trying to crack it again. "But he had long, white hair. Like… like Kabuto!" He said suddenly; his eyes darting away from his black-haired friend._

_At the Uchiha's raised eyebrow, Naruto shook his head. "Well… The guy was young, but still older than us."_

"_That helps." Was the dry reply._

"_Shut up teme!" He shot back. "Anyway, he had his hair tied back in a tight ponytail that beat Neji's. His eyes though… those eyes were what made me feel sick…"_

_When Naruto trailed off, the sharingan-user let him remain quiet for a while. He wanted to know… but pressing Naruto constantly wouldn't help the dobe at all. Soon enough though, he started up again._

_Lighting struck in view of the window… almost seeming to illuminate his next words. "He was a demon."_

FlashBack

Dark purple eyes that glittered with cold indifference stared back at them. The man was handsome—no… was extremely sensual. His whole body screamed 'sex' to Naruto. And the blond was definitely straight.

He felt more then heard both Neji and Sai shift uncomfortably next to him and knew they had come to the same conclusion. But it was the _eyes_ that most caught his attention. He looked as if he thought they were nothing more then toys to play with then dispose of at his leisure.

He didn't even bother to look at him or Sai, the Jinchuuriki noticed. The man stared directly at Neji… and the idea he was sending made the blond livid.

"Master Ryoudai?" Neji murmured in his best feminine voice; bowing to show respect.

The man's lips pulled back into a slight smirk, but Naruto barely noticed. THIS GUY?! This guy was the leader of the massive gang said to have informants tied to the Akatsuki itself? 'He's too young!' He screamed to himself. 'He doesn't even look four years older than me!'

"No, I'm afraid I am not Lord Ryoudai. My name is Belial." The man replied silkily. "You are Miss Nekoko Shuuin? You are indeed very lovely." The way he spoke though, made Neji think he was more amused than anything… and not because of the mistaken name.

End FlashBack

_For once, it was Sasuke who caused the interruption. _

"_That name… I think I've heard it before."_

"_You probably have." Replied the blond quietly. _

_A dark eyebrow rose, but he made no further comments towards it. _

"_That man… he didn't talk much. He led us to a room where we waited for a few hours without talking. Neji was being really strict with our cover. When we were finally able to get out of that room—" Sasuke could feel the edgy sort of panic Naruto gave off as he talked about the room. 'It must have been too small'. He thought absently._

"—_We were taken to another room. This one was bigger though! It almost looked like five bedrooms put together. I guess it was the Leader's bed-chamber… I can't really remember how they said it."_

_Sasuke stood when he finished his sentence. "Pause, Naruto." _

"_Huh?"_

"_We should eat something, and then tell me the rest. It'll piss me off if you pass out from exhaustion in the middle of something, dobe."_

_Naruto's face scrunched up into an unattractive frown. "Shut up! I'm not gonna pass out, bastard! Stop treating me like I'm weak!"_

"_I know you're not."_

_He opened his mouth to continue, and then bite his tongue. "Huh?" He blinked stupidly. That was…easy?_

_The Uchiha snorted. "What do you want?" but when Naruto shrugged, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yakisoba then."_

_He motioned for the other to follow him into the kitchen, knowing the dobe would continue as they worked on the food. He was right._

"_Well… we sat down in the middle of the room across from a man who looked just like Belial, except older. Me and Sai had to sit further back away from Neji because he was the entertainer. And our unit leader." He added the last as an afterthought._

_Sasuke nodded. He listened intently as Naruto continued to talk about how Neji –playing Miss Nekoko- stood from her seat on the ground and proceeded to talk to the leader in a very sensual voice. He mentioned he had been afraid for a few moments that Sai would make an open 'you sound like a whore' crack._

_His mouth had begun to twitch into the Uchiha's version of a smile when it hit him. The pan of vegetables fell from his hands; Naruto's body being slammed up against the wall before it even hit the ground._

_Racing sharingan bored into deep cerulean. "Sasuke?!" Naruto called; eyes wide and hands grasping the paler man's hold on his shoulders._

"_Belial? Belial Tokuba?!"_

_Ah. So he realized it now. As Naruto's eyes faded to the color of dirty grey, Sasuke felt like he was going to be sick. Tokuba was Kabuto rearranged; and one of the medic-nin's aliases._

"_N-Naruto!?"_


	4. Where It Starts

AN: Sorry for the late update. I'll be posting the next one not long after this.

Warnings: None.

_________________________________________________________________

_Everything seemed to click into place faster then the Uchiha could keep up with. Was Kabuto the reason why Naruto was acting this way? Had the insane medic-nin done something to the blond? He knew Naruto didn't know it was Kabuto at the time, otherwise everything would have gone much differently._

_He took a deep breath as Naruto hovered calmly over him; suspended a foot from the ground by his own tight grip. Again he was reminded of how wrong this all seemed as Naruto neither snapped at him nor made any kind of barb to set him off. Sasuke Uchiha was the only one out of control here._

"_I'm sorry." He muttered quietly as he released his friend. _

_Naruto grinned a little. "Forget it, teme."_

"_Naruto…"_

_A light blond eyebrow rose when the Uchiha continued. _

"_When you came after me, Orochimaru was already dead." _

_The Jinchuuriki nodded, but before Sasuke could continue with the train of thought, he interrupted him. "We didn't know it was Kabuto. And even when we found out, he was a lot different then when he was with that Snake bastard. But yeah… keep listening…"_

FlashBack

"I'm sure that can be arranged." The strange old man said quietly.

Naruto blinked. Huh? What had he missed? The blond had been listening for a while, only to zone out from the sickeningly-sweet, albeit false pleasantries and the hum of servants as they walked the halls. He hated stuffy enclosed areas.

But he hated people who pretended to care even more. After a few more moments though, Neji stood (Had he been sitting?) and motioned for both him and Sai to stand as well. He quietly did as he was told.

Belial smiled politely at them and gestured for them to follow him into yet another room. Naruto's skin crawled where the man's fingers accidentally brushed against him, but to Belial it was as if it never happened. The blond frowned a little. All three ninja were moved only a room over, and told that these would be their accommodations for the night, as the Head-of-House was not feeling well and could not be entertained.

This room was a little smaller, but had everything they needed… to Naruto, it seemed strange. But if it really was, neither Neji nor Sai said anything.

"It is late." The white-haired man murmured in an almost lilting voice. "We hope your rest is a pleasant one, Miss Nekoko."

"Thank you very much." The Hyuuga responded in the same tone.

He left them to themselves, shutting the slider behind him.

"Ne—" Again Naruto was cut off by a look and he corrected himself. "Nekoko… I don't like him."

"He is not a civilian." Neji relented. If Naruto wasn't going to heed him, he at least had to keep the conversation as brief as possible. The blond was going to be the death of them.

But Sai seemed just as concerned.

"He's familiar. I can't say who he is, but I don't like him just like Dickless."

Naruto snarled, reaching up to slam a fist into Sai's face, but Neji blocked the blow.

"Show a little common sense, Uzumaki." He hissed angrily. "If you give us away we will not be the only ones in danger. The Hokage is counting on us… and she has a lot of faith in you, for putting you on this mission at all. I wouldn't have taken you at all, if I had been able to pick my partners."

The tan hand flew back to the wooden floor with a light slap as Naruto deflated, pouting. He knew Tsunade was risking quite a bit by sending him into an area where there could possibly be Akatsuki… but it was just the _strangeness _of it all that had him edgy and wishing this would end quickly.

Something was off and it was driving him insane. He opened his mouth to tell them so, but stopped himself. 'They already feel it, Sai said so. That guy… I don't know about this house, but… if I did, they had to too.' He continued to reason with himself. He didn't notice this wasn't the first time he had skirted around saying anything.

End FlashBack

"_Naruto." He murmured impatiently. "Are you stalling?"_

_The Jinchuuriki frowned. "This stuff's important too."_

_A dark eyebrow rose in question._

"_Shut up, teme." Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'll cut it short then. Neji and Sai didn't talk very much after that, and then we just went to bed. Neji told me it was because of rest, but Sai kept saying it was because I needed to shut up. I threw my pillow at him and slept on the floor."_

_Sasuke sighed, but motioned for him to continue. He didn't know much about Sai himself, other then when Team Seven had confronted Orochimaru to get him back. But apparently he made just as much of an impression on Naruto as he did himself._

_He didn't know if he liked that._

"_In the middle of the night they came in."_

_The Uchiha blinked, eyes re-focusing on Naruto._

"_We all feigned sleep, but I'm pretty sure I was the last one to wake up… or the only one who had to wake up. Whatever. But it took me a minute to catch on that someone was in the room and walking over to Neji."_

FlashBack

Pale fingers traced the equally pale skin of the Hyuuga's face as he feigned sleep. But apparently, it was not what the stranger wanted. A light rap on Neji's face, and the genjutsu-changed green eyes opened sleepily to peer up at amused purple.

"Belial-san?" She/He asked sleepily, yawning with delicate ease and sitting up.

"Might I trouble you for a short while, Miss Nekoko? And you may call me Tokuba." He stood slowly to smooth out his own clothing; a black yukata with small purple designs adorning the edges.

Naruto's body tensed ever-so-slightly but he forced himself to relax. 'I can't blow it now…' He thought as he lay on the now-warm sheets.

"Of course." He heard Neji reply, and then there was more shifting. Naruto assumed it was from Neji getting up and following the evil-looking guy out of their room. He was right.

The sliding doors shut behind them and soft footfalls grew quieter and quieter as they moved away. Eventually, they heard nothing. The blond Jinchuuriki sat up immediately; an arm flailing wildly at the room's other occupant.

"I see you." Sai responded quietly as he sat up.

"We have to follow them! We can't leave Neji alone—"

"Panty-freak is a ninja too. He can handle himself. It isn't likely that he will be attacked."

"Stop calling him names!" Naruto chucked the small blanket that had been covering him at Sai, who only sat there and watched with emotionless detatchment.

"If you want to follow him, make sure you aren't caught."

The blond blinked. He didn't need Sai to follow Neji. "Fine." He snapped, getting up and putting the pants he wore under the yukata back on. They were simple black pants, though a little loose around the hips it would be better then the stupid formal dress wear. As quietly as Neji and Belial had before, he opened the slid door and closed it as he left.


	5. Choices

_Naruto paused to see if Sasuke had anything to say, but the Uchiha only continued to watch him carefully. _

"_It felt like I followed them forever, but…" _

FlashBack

Twelve long, silent hallways later the blond Jinchuuriki stopped in front of the door he assumed was Belial's room. He'd managed to get himself lost in the large home/building and had to resort to sticking his ear against any door he came across. He eventually found them; even though they had been whispering, Naruto's Kyuubi-heightened senses picked up their voices easily.

He resisted the urge to berate himself for losing them in the first place… until he heard the strange noises accompanying their words. Naruto blinked. 'Huh?'

As quietly as he could, he crouched low to the ground and gently eased the sliding door open a few centimeters. Bright cerulean eyes peered into the moonlit room.

"Oh Kami…"

End FlashBack

_Naruto's voice wavered for a moment before he cut off completely. The Uchiha frowned. _

"_Naruto?"_

_The blond choked back a strangled sob. "I…"_

_Panicking; Sasuke reached out to grab his friend's shoulder. "Naruto, what the hell happened?"_

_Nothing._

_Naruto Uzumaki said nothing as he stood against the wall of the Uchiha's manor; head downturned so that Sasuke couldn't see his face as it hid behind a veil of blond hair. That didn't mean the Uchiha couldn't feel the minute-trembling his friend failed to hide._

"_Damnit, Naruto… you said you would tell me! What's wrong?!"_

"_I'M TRYING!" He burst out, startling the other into dropping his hand. Onyx eyes grew wide._

_Naruto's body shook visibly now and he couldn't tell if it was from anger or sadness. He was still hiding his face… but his fists were clenching and unclenching in no specific pattern._

"_I SAW it. And when I saw it I knew… I KNEW this was the REAL mission and that Neji tried everything he could to make sure I didn't see it, because I wasn't supposed to see this. I wasn't supposed to…" And he broke down; arm coming up to cover his face as he sobbed loudly in the crackling storm._

_Sasuke's eyes clenched shut painfully. He still couldn't entirely understand what had happened… but he was beginning to get an idea. 'Naru… to…'_

_A long time ago, when he was much younger and more naïve, he had told the blond in front of him that he was his most important person. That he couldn't afford to be weak and allow Naruto to surpass him, because he was supposed to be the stronger of them both. A feeling of helplessness washed over him now as, even though Naruto was the one broken and crying, he knew he could not help his friend._

_He couldn't kill someone to save him… he couldn't take the other to Sakura or the Hokage to mend him… and he couldn't use his mengyouku like Itachi to erase the horrible memory. He didn't know how. His friend continued to sob against the wall as the wind picked up outside._

_Distantly, he could hear one of the trees on the compound topple over. Sasuke Uchiha was at a loss._

"_What can I do… what am I supposed to do… Naruto." He murmured to himself absently._

_Naruto began to hiccup. His sleeve was soaked now and all of a sudden Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. With a shaky lurch the pale nin reached out and pulled Naruto's heaving body against his; quick Uchiha hands pulling the blond's arm from his face before pushing the mass of blond hair against his chest._

"_Calm down." He ordered. But he was being hypocritical… his own heart beat quickly against his own ribcage and he knew Naruto could hear it._

"…"

FlashBack

"You knew."

"Of course, MISS Nekoko." The voice taunted.

Wide blue eyes… innocent blue eyes watched the scene before them unfold in a mixture of anger, horror and confusion. Neji lay sprawled across the floor, hair spread everywhere and the upper half of his robe crumpled under his lower body.

He'd been exposed as a male… and Belial sat poised over the thin, pale body like a cat toying with a mouse. Both arms on either side of Neji's body, he almost looked like he was going to…

"I see. This changes things then, Tokuba-san." Neji replied; all traces of the feminine act gone.

"It does indeed. Your friends…" He began, lifting a hand to trace over the pale, unblemished skin of the Hyuuga's chest. "They are not as they seem either. Ninja…" He purred.

He saw Neji's body freeze up and then immediately relax at the accusation, but he said nothing in reply. Naruto bit his lip unconsciously.

"How much would you be willing to pay for their safety, my _Konoha _ninja?"

More surprises… should he go in? Could he save Neji and Sai and still get out of here in time? Could he warn Tsunade Baa-chan that there might be a spy in Konoha leaking information to the Akatsuki? Before he could answer any of these questions he released an undignified yelp as he was hauled to his feet.

"We have a watcher, Belial-sama." Said a gruff voice as the blond felt his body become paralyzed with a jutsu and lifted several feet from the ground. He couldn't see who grabbed him.

The sliding doors opened as the bigger man pulled him into the room, and then shut the doors behind them. The white-haired man's face split into a sickeningly predatorial grin.

"Ah… our other ninja friend. Is the black-haired one watching as well--?" He was cut off by a sharp intake of breath from the Hyuuga.

"What are you doing here?!" He said; voice laced with slight panic and fear.

He couldn't talk. He couldn't move… he couldn't even blink as he watched the man named Tokuba lay his body down slowly against Neji's bare chest. One hand came up to hold his own chin as the elbow rested just below the Hyuuga's nipple. Naruto wanted to scream.

"I think he was curious. Wondering where your Team Leader is… I would follow us too. You froze his body, Ryu?"

"Yes."

Tokuba nodded absently. "So, as I was saying Ninja-chan…how much would you be willing to pay for their safety?" He asked, watching Neji's expression fall from slight panic to detached resignation with sadistic amusement.

End FlashBack

_Sasuke's free hand came up to wipe away the tears. Naruto's face lay buried in the black-clothed chest and his arms tangled almost uncomfortably behind the Uchiha. He was squeezing the breath out of him… but it didn't matter._

"_Hey."_

'_Naruto…' His mind whirled with different thoughts as the blond dobe looked up at him with puffy red eyes. He was still hiccupping._

"_D-damnit…" _

_The tears were his undoing._

_Quickly, like the elite nin he was, Uchiha Sasuke crushed his lips to the tan ones belonging to Naruto Uzumaki._


	6. Neji's pain, Sasuke's understanding

Warnings: Partial Non-Con, Abuse, Torture…. Is Fluff a warning? Angst. Oh, and Yaoi stuff. Though, I'd think that obvious… eh.

* * *

"No Neji, no you don't have to do this…! We can fight them!"

Unfortunately, Naruto's screams came out as nothing but soft moans because of the paralysis jutsu. This is when he cursed himself for being weak against mind tricks… and he knew that was exactly what this was.

"Whatever you want from me, take it."

'Oh Kami, no….' Naruto's mind exhaled in the breath of a man about to die a horrible defeat. That was what this felt like… he was defeated before it even started as Tokuba smiled almost serenely in the thick darkness before removing the last vestiges of Neji's feminine kimono.

The Hyuuga made not a sound when sharp nails dug stinging furrows down his pale hips… then his thighs.

"Such a pretty body…" Tokuba murmured pleasantly. "It's too bad I had very little opportunity to examine you this close the last time we met."

Neji's skin broke out in gooseflesh as the hand touched him, and then froze at the sentence. 'Last time…?' He had no time to think further before the silver-haired man hooked an arm around one of his legs and jerked it upward, exposing his full nudity to Naruto. The blonde's face began to heat up with shame and embarrassment for both him and Neji…

"Uhnn…" The Hyuuga boy couldn't hold back a choked groan when those pointed fingernails dug into his bottom so viciously he began to bleed. That was when Naruto began to cry.

End FlashBack

_As Naruto's mouth slanted over his gently Sasuke unconsciously wrapped a pale hand in the short blond locks and tugged him even closer._

"_Naruto..." He murmured._

"_Nnn... S-Sasuke…?" _

_Confused blue clashed with torn black. 'I can't do this… he's unstable. I can't—' But when Naruto ever-so-slightly rubbed his growing erection against Sasuke's, all of the Uchiha's willpower crumbled and he forced Naruto back against the wall he'd just been leaning on._

_Pulling away from him, Sasuke let his tongue trail a hot wet path down the blonde's whiskered cheek to the pulse-point between his neck and shoulder._

"_Tell me to stop…" He hissed in an almost needy tone as he jerked the zipper for Naruto's jacket down the small metal track._

_But the Jinchuuriki said nothing. His mouth opened and blue eyes slid shut… he wanted this… with Sasuke… they were best friends, almost brothers. He trusted him completely and that was what he needed right now, this was what he needed._

"_Sasuke please."_

_The jacket was ripped away; in his haste the Uchiha also shredded the mesh shirt down the center and it pulled away easily with the jacket. Black eyes almost seemed to glare up at closed blue._

"_I won't stop." _

"_Good."_

_This time he cursed out loud, but he continued to touch Naruto as his hands fervently worked at removing all of the other's clothes as quickly as possible. Why the hell was he so needy? Was it the story…? Truthfully, he didn't know. He hadn't even known that he liked Naruto this way until just a moment ago. Was that because he felt weak?_

'_No.' His mind asserted immediately. 'Never as simple as that.'_

_Naruto's sudden loud cry forced his mind back to the present and he found that one of his hands clasped the tan (sun-bleached everywhere..?) erection as was stroking it hotly. His fingers were already slippery with pre-cum. His own cock twitched with excitement._

"_I… do this to you?" He stroked harder._

_The hand holding Naruto up against the wall pushed away. His black hair fell in his face but he ignored it in favor of leaning close enough to Naruto to feel his breath on his face. The blonde's chest hitched and he moaned._

FlashBack

The only reason Neji's scream didn't wake anyone in the house was because the room was enclosed in a sound-proof barrier set up by the silent Ryu. Tokuba's fingernails dragged savagely up the wounded left cheek and stopped at the Hyuuga's kneecap. Blood dribbled lazily in tiny rivulets down the now reddened skin until in pooled on the cold floor.

But he was only just starting.

His free hand came down at the black-haired nin with unnatural speed, slapping him with a good deal of force. Naruto's body jerked in Ryu's tight grip. 'Please…!' He begged in his mind. 'Stop… stop, please!'

The blows fell quickly and with a sickening sort of precision. It was as if he wanted to inflict maximum damage to the Hyuuga without leaving any serious wounds.

"Spread for me." The command came out in a strangely different tone… one that struck both Neji and Naruto as frighteningly familiar. It still couldn't be placed though…

He did as he was told and spread his legs in a wide gesture. His face was flushed with pain and anger. He wasn't angry for being treated this way though… he was angry at himself for not realizing Naruto had followed him. And now his (were they friends?) team member was about to see what Neji Hyuuga had really come here for.

The real mission… to seduce the Head-of-House and gain any information he could from the old man about the Akatsuki and Sound village. But Belial knew everything and it was now the Son Neji was entertaining instead. He KNEW he wasn't going to get anything from this man and would be lucky if the sick bastard let them go, despite promising to leave them be if he got his way with the Hyuuga.

The worst part of all of this was that Naruto was only supposed to be here for back-up. A hard-hitter should the need to fight arise or at worst eye-candy for the sick, twisted people living in this house. But he was _here_, he was _in this room _and he was watching Neji allow himself to be raped for the sake of the three of them.

He felt sick.

"Don't detach yourself now, Neji-kun." The older man purred as he lent down just enough to take a pale earlobe into his mouth… and bite down hard.

Neji hissed as an explosive pain erupted throughout his head and neck—his ears were sensitive spots. And then it clicked.

Suddenly EVERYTHING made sense.

He couldn't hide the cry that escaped his lips as he tried to push himself away from the man abusing his body and playing with his mind.

"Kabuto!" He choked out, just as the medic-nin shoved a sharp finger into his unprepared entrance; muscle tearing and bleeding over the hand almost immediately.

End FlashBack

"_Yeah." He whispered. It almost went unheard in the unforgiving thunder of the rain outside._

_Their pants were gone now; Sasuke having almost ripped Naruto's completely apart and Naruto himself fumbling a little with belt clasps before letting the black-haired nin's drop to the ground. Sasuke was thinner than Naruto, but exerted a lot more strength for the moment._

_More quick movements…pauses, and shifting before both of them were completely naked and watching each other with conflicting expressions. Naruto, being both scared and happy that this was happening, tried to look at anything but his friend. Sasuke looked as if he wanted to force Naruto to look at him… but he knew that the blond (He couldn't call him an idiot anymore, could he?) boy had obviously gone through something that would never, ever leave him._

_He would be scarred by this just as Sasuke had been scarred by his brother defecting and killing their entire clan. And then later finding out it wasn't Itachi's choice at all. But they were here now…he wouldn't hurt him anymore… he wanted to help and he was going to prove it. He wanted Naruto._

"_Hey, look at me." He murmured softly, catching Naruto's face with a sweat-slicked hand and forcing the Jinchuuriki to look at him._

_Naruto did and their eyes locked._

"_I haven't told you everything." He replied quietly. "You might hate me."_

"_Did you ever hate me?" The Uchiha asked._

"_No!"_

"_Exactly."_

_With a final tug, he pulled Naruto against him again and braced them both against the cool wall behind the blond. One hand on a tan hip, the other gently fingered the blonde's opening._

"_Ah… ahnn… S-Sasuke!" He arched his back and their chests rubbed together with delicious friction. Both nin moaned._

_Black hair fell forward as a pale forhead hit Naruto's chest. Sasuke supported Naruto's body with his own hips and the wall behind them; tan legs locked behind his back squeezed gently._

"_Please…"_

"_Fuck," He coughed; cock jerking against Naruto's bottom with sudden pleasure. "I'm not going to be able to hold back if you do that shit...!" _

"_Then don't!" The blond growled back._

'_He acts like he's going to break me… I have problems but I'm not gonna fall apart!' Naruto thought with a silent snort. Truthfully… he'd feel a lot better about telling Sasuke what happened after this. Lethargy had its perks. "Fuck me!"_

_Sasuke grunted… pulling the finger he had inside the other out and began to press his own need against him. "Damnit Naruto!" He practically roared as he slammed into the blond, unable to help himself. He was losing control rapidly and Uzumaki was egging it on. If he wanted it rough the Uchiha would give him rough… _

_Naruto cried out in a mixture of pleasure and pain—more pleasure than anything. His body rocked back on the heavy erection as hard as he could. White stars danced behind his eyes._

"_Move! Please, oh harder…"_

FlashBack

"How beautiful!" Kabuto cried; the illusion he wore dispelling after Neji called out his name. "You found me! So smart, Neji-KUN!" Two more fingers found the first and he slammed his hand unforgivingly into the tight little body underneath him.

The boy's screams were drowned out by shrill laughter—he was showing who he was now, and that terrified Naruto to the point where the blond felt something strange and sickening begin to leak from his body. He couldn't look… he couldn't look. But he couldn't close his eyes.

He was frozen.

The fingers went away but the Hyuuga's cries of pain did not; they were replaced by something thicker and harder. Though not sharp, Kabuto's erection still forced a grunt and violent tremble from the boy's body. He was raw inside… it hurt so badly…

"St-stop…"

He was unused to being abused so harshly in such a quick time-span… and in this way. But there was no pity for him. No one could stop it, and he could only whine and try to force back pained sounds as the hard rod of flesh pulled and stretched the already-bleeding muscle inside of him.

Kabuto's sick sneer soon found Naruto's paralyzed face and he chortled at Ryu.

"Let him move a little… I want to hear the little Demon Vessel."


	7. Subdued Truths

Warnings: Non-Con, Abuse, Torture, Angst, Yaoi (obviously), and attempted suicide.

_For once, Sasuke had no snide remark, nor did he argue with the blond he used to consider beneath him. The Uchiha pulled back and slammed into Naruto's willing body without duress._

_Their pace was quick and needy… almost as if this would be the last time they ever did such a thing. Maybe it was. Neither could think about that now though—least of all Sasuke Uchiha._

_The dark-haired teen wasn't so sure where this would all go in the end._

FlashBack

As soon as Naruto was able to open his mouth a terrified and pain-filled scream rent the air. A horrible burn ripped through his insides… but the cause eluded him, as he watched Neji's face contort with reserved fear and… and that _damn_ submission. 'Neji… please…'

"Why…? You…" 'Why wont you fight back?' He wanted to scream. 'Why won't you DO something?'

"Isn't it obvious, Naruto-kun?" Kabuto's voice was deathly serious, and for the moment all of the blonde's focus fell to him.

The animal with glowing silver hair that danced in the moonlight allowed a moment of brief tenderness to escape in his next words. "He cares for you."

The black-haired Hyuuga's face contorted in a grimace and he tried to push Kabuto off of him. He didn't need this psychopath telling Naruto things he would have rather kept to himself… it only added to the pressure of the moment.

And he was right. The blond felt sick and the horrible feelings welling up inside his trembling form only intensified. He was scared, he was angry… he was helpless. He couldn't help his friends. He couldn't… he couldn't help Neji at all…

But _oh _the _BURNING…_ he felt as if he were melting from the inside out and that not even one of Kakashi's water jutsu could save him. When his friend and teammate released another horrible scream, Naruto felt his body break from Ryu's jutsu.

And watched the room erupt into flames.

End FlashBack

_A clipped gasp and the sound of flesh hitting flesh almost matched the raging elements outside… Naruto's body slamming into the wall behind him with every powerful thrust from the Uchiha's taut body._

"_Uhn Sas—" The Uchiha's lips claimed the blonde's before he could say anything more. _

_It had been cool earlier, but now…now their bodies seemed to burn each other and it took great willpower not to flare chakra in abandonment. Naruto forced himself to release Sasuke's tongue so that he could speak. _

"_H-harder… I want…"_

_He couldn't finish. But the Uchiha prodigy picked it up easily and unwrapped one of Naruto's legs from around his hips, only to bring it up over his forearm to change the angle. _

_Whiskered cheeks flushed deeply as he cried out in bliss… Sasuke had hit his prostate dead-on. _

"_F-fuck, Naruto!" 'Too long…' His mind hazed, before he came suddenly inside of the tan boy's clenching body. _

_But he didn't mind… Naruto wasn't unsatisfied. He followed Sasuke's breathy curse and bit his lip; coming hard between both of them with hitching gasps. It was nice this way… it was…_

FlashBack

One... two... Neji's eyes grew impossibly wide as the situation turned from the worst possible scenario he could think of to one on a whole new level. Even when Sai appeared on the scene to knock the bodyguard Ryu into unconsciousness, his eyes remained fixed on the sickeing red chakra leaking from his distressed teammates body.

"Naruto... Naruto calm down, get a hold of yourself!" He called.

But he knew it was a futile attempt even as he spoke. He was still bleeding... Kabuto still wore that smirk of superiority... things were still spiraling out of control and there was little to nothing he could do about it.

A well-placed kick to Kabuto's chest sent the distracted man into the wall and Neji winced when a sharp pain surged up his backside. He picked up the now dirty and blood-stained clothing beneath him, putting it on and motioning for Sai to get away from the distressed Naruto.

Two tails... there were already two tails in the demon cloak. Naruto's body convulsed and quiet sobs could be heard over the roaring of the flames generated from the tails close contact with the paper walls.

"This can't get any better."

Sai's warning shout came a millisecond too late; and Neji's vision went black as he was knocked unconscious and thrown over a slim shoulder. Kabuto sneered at the beast in front of him. Hateful, enraged eyes locked with his in the chaos, and he beckoned the other with a finger... before he disappeared through the destroyed paper wall and off into the night.

Sai had no choice but to follow as Naruto gave not a moments pause and chased after the bait being dangled before him. The emotionally-stunted nin ran through his options quickly; he could try to calm Naruto down and retrieve the Hyuuga, or he could let Naruto distract the silver-haired nin and move Neji to a safer place.

He entertained no illusions of being able to fight either of the two in the current situation. Naruto was far too powerful and Kabuto had a hostage. He needed a distraction to snatch Neji back. But when Kabuto practically _hurled _the Hyuuga at him when they reached the dense forest behind the village, he bit his lip and frowned deeply.

"He's after you Naruto, stop!" He tried in vain, but the boy encased in demonic energy paid no mind to his friend being thrown and focused solely on the silver-haired man that had driven him into the enraged state he was in.

Sai caught Neji before he could collide with several rocks jutting from the ground and paused; torn. Should he follow Naruto and try to get him to come back, leaving Neji to wait here alone? 'He's bleeding profusely... he wont last much long if he doesn't get to a doctor...'

Neji's lower half was covered in blood; his kimono sticking to his body and giving off the heavy scent of copper. Sai grit his teeth for a moment and turned away from the path his blond companion had taken. Neji needed to be treated...

"Don't get captured... Uzumaki."

End FlashBack

_They had been laying on the floor, panting slowly tapering off and adrenaline fading in the afterglow of what they had done. Sasuke's body however, trembled in barely suppressed rage and the Uchiha put his fist through the wooden floorboards with a thundering crash to rival the worsening storm outside._

_Naruto rubbed a calloused hand over his face before shoving the Uchiha over and onto his back, draping his own body over the others before he could attempt any more venting._

"_I'm glad he saved Neji."_

"_Of course you are." The Uchiha retorted dryly, looking away._

_Naruto snorted, rolling his eyes. He felt a little better now... the looks, the tender touches... it proved to the blond just how much he meant to the raven-haired nin more than any words he could have possibly given. And it was because of that that the Jinchuuriki found the strength to continue with the story, as well as a renew in spirits._

"_Neji is my friend. Even if Sai had stopped me and brought me back, Neji would have died. And I couldn't live with-" He was cut off by a hand on his mouth and black eye boring steadily into his. He saw the rage dissipating slowly._

"_I know. But I can still be angry." He growled._

_The blond released a kept breath and laid his head down on the pale chest beneath him. He chose to continue then, before the conversation tapered off into one of their normal stubborn bouts that never got anywhere for either of them._

"_I honestly didn't know much what happened after the cloak came out, but after I made it back Tsunade-baachan called Neji and Sai in and we pieced our stories together."_

"_Is that why I didn't see you for the couple days I was locked in that cell?" Sasuke asked as his fingers danced along Naruto's spine thoughtfully. "I had assumed you feared speaking to me..."_

_Tan skin broke out in gooseflesh and the blond moaned quietly. _

"_Eh... yeah. I didn't have a choice since I had to be treated right away, or..."_

_The Uchiha's eyes closed, but not before Naruto could see the flash of guilt in them. He smiled a bit and snuggled closer._

"_There was the part that no one knew about, between when Sai got Neji to a doctor and when I woke up. But..."_

_He paused for a moment, his breath hitching when Sasuke's fingertips ghosted along his backside._

"_Kabuto was nowhere near me when I woke, and I had no idea where I was. A full day after too, 'cause it was just beginning to hit nighttime when I was finally able to stand up. It felt like forever before I was able to remember why the hell I could have been out in the middle of nowhere... but I wasn't by myself."_

FlashBack

He sat up with a groan, surveying his surroundings through watery eyes. He'd been laying there for a little while now, unable to move... thinking about just what had happened. Neji's pain-filled expression haunted him. He hoped that both he and Sai were safe somewhere...

Nearby, a figure caught his attention and he paled considerably. The black cloak with red clouds... he'd seen that on the elder Uchiha. It was the symbol for the Akatsuki. The man had blond hair like Naruto's, but instead it ws pulled up into a ponytail and his right eye was obscured by his bangs.

He grinned at Naruto playfully. "Hey... he was right, un. Looks like I've caught myself a scared little fox."

Naruto bristled at that.

"What the hell, bastard? Who said I'm scared? I'll kick your ass-"

"Yeah yeah. You don't got the fight in you kid, hm." He threw back with a snicker, approaching the blond with a determined gaze.

He willed his body not to shake where he sat. The other was right... he was bluffing. He could barely sit up let alone move right now. Fear seized him. Was he going to die here?

"Who the hell are you?" He growled, locking eyes with the Akatsuki member.

"It doesn't matter now does it Jinchuuriki-san? Soon enough your own name will only be a faded memory to your friends."

End FlashBack

"_I had heard of that one... Deidara."_

_He felt the nod against his chest, and closed his eyes. Sasuke had heard a great many things from Orochimaru about the Akatsuki when he worked under the Sanin. _

"_They captured you..."_

"_I was taken to their hideout that was hidden somewhere in Snow... it's still hazy, so I don't remember all of it. But that guy bound my chakra and knocked me out. I woke up in a cell deep underground, with my arms and legs chained to the wall."_

_Sasuke's hand continued to stroke down the middle of Naruto's back slowly. He refrained from speaking now. He knew things would only get worse from here, and him interrupting wasn't helping the blond._

"_The one I saw the most was a woman named Konan... she was the one who somewhat took care of me while they prepared to remove the stupid fox..."_

_He blinked at that, but Naruto continued on before he could question him._

"_Because I had the Nine-Tailed fox the extraction would take much longer then all of the other ones, they said. I ended up being with them for a month before..."_

_'Before you ran into me.' Sasuke thought to himself. _

"_I... I want to get right through this. I'm gonna say everything now..."_

_Sasuke's hand stilled for a moment._

"_I understand. I wont interrupt you."_


End file.
